k2000 shutter button not work sometimes

Hi, based mostly on this review I purchased the K2000 in white (my stormtrooper!) for a great (I thought) price: $700USD.

I'm a little disappointed with several things and perhaps some more-knowledgable Pentax users can help me...

1. sometimes the shutter release button does nothing and I don't know why. I press it, stab at it, hold it down...it acts like the camera is turned off but the LCD screen works, everything appers to be fine, I even tried new batteries but nothing works. Then I'll turn it off (since I missed the damn shot I wanted) and wait a little while, then turn it back on and it works like nothing was ever wrong. This is very sporadic and I cannot find a pattern...any ideas? Does this happen to anyone else with any other Pentax cameras?

2. I am very disappointed in the poor cold weather performance, or should I say, lack of performance. One bright early beautiful morning I was in the park trying to take pictures at a dog show and it wouldn't turn on. I swapped the batteries with new ones I had in my pocket and it still wouldn't work. Temp was about 25-30F with no wind. I missed a lot of shots, then finally put the camera in the crook of my arm (I had my thick black leather jacket on) and the sun plus dark leather insulation warmed it up enough to finally turn on and work but the AF was very slow. So my question: is this typical for the Pentax cameras at these temps? This is not extreme cold and a normal film camera would have worked just fine...I hope I'm not moving backward by advancing forward with technology.

1. what lens do you use, what focus mode where you on and did it not take the photo or didn't it also not auto focus?

2. I think you should blame the batteries, what kind were you using?
When temperature drops their performance drop as well and if the voltage is too low since you use rechargeable then there is not much to do then use other types of batteries.
Types like the enloop brand ones seems to work well in most conditions.

1. AF mode and lens not focused?

2. Try lithium batteries for cold weather. You might have had lithium or silver oxide batteries in your old film camera, too. These perform better than ordinary NiMH. Don't use alkalines, by the way, except in emergencies.

1: Is the firmware up to date?

2: Does this happen in any condition?

Firm ware update for the first problem here

If the answer to 2 is yes then get back to the dealer and get it sorted under warranty.

Get the warranty done first, just to be safe.

When you say 'the LCD screen works', what are you actually seeing on it?

More specific information is needed to make any suggestions. Especially the lens and the settings used.

Thank you all for the precise and direct questions, I didn't know what to put in my original msg. Here are answers to what I know/remember without looking at the camera:
the default two lenses that came with the kit, one is like an 80-200 and the other is like a 35-80, both AF, camera was set on AF mode.
Duracell ["the copper top"](tm) brand new ones also made no difference. If I recall correctly the owner manual said not to use rechargeables.
Not just "not focused" but no power to the lens at all. I don't recall what the LCD screen displayed, sorry!
I will download and install the firmware update tonight, but their website does not mention anything about a non-responsive shutter button, however I have not read the read-me file which may say something more than their website.
It has happened once when I was in Hawaii on the beach (about 70 degrees, light breeze, bikinis everywhere) and I turned the power on to take a picture of some ..native wildlife.. and it powered up but the shutter button did nothing. Grrrr..

If I recall anything else I will post again. Thanks again everyone for the suggestions!

The shutter button won't do anything, and no power will be put to the lens, if the camera is in auto-focus mode but is unable to focus the lens because the subject is too close or does not have enough light or contrast for the camera to detect its distance. In this situation, focus on a different part of the subject or switch to manual-focus mode.

Batteries: don't use alkaline unless you have to. Do use Energizer Lithium or good quality high-capacity rechargeable NiMH.

I think you mean the DA18-55 and the DA50-200, am I correct?
It doesn't really matter except for what Pete said but the lens should always try to get something infocus when pressing the button so does the lens try to get an focus lock, does the AF move the lens?

The camera will only take an photo when it has an focus lock, when you turn it to MF then that is putt of and you can change it in your custom menu as well for the AF.

These batteries link are reported to work wonderfully with the K-M by hundreds of user across this forum, the USA forum and the Dutch forum, so if you want to use rechargeable these are the ones to get.

Alkalines like Duracell are not very good in a DSLR, even at normal room temperature you'll be lucky to get 50 shots out of a set.

The manual may well recommend against rechargable CRV3 batteries (like two AAs stuck together) since those can have odd voltages, but I believe Pentax actively recomend NiMH rechargable AA's

The only batteries I would consider using in an AA powered DSLR are Energiser Lithiums for single use or NiMH (preferably Uniross Hybrio or similar) for re-chargible.

I live in the UK but also own a K2000 (US version of the K-m) and on the odd occassion have had the same problem. I've found the problem most commonly occurs in low light or close up situations. Try changing it to manual focus, this sometimes overides the non-response problem.

Sorry to bump this old topic but I wanted to respond that I think my problems have been solved by researching and using new batteries! I now know way more than I ever wanted to know about rechargeable batteries, how they work, why they work, construction, etc.

I bought the Delkin Power 2900mAh NiMH batteries and their recharger unit and love them. Now my shutter release button is crisp and responsive, the multi-frame shots always take more pictures than I wanted because I can't remove my finger from the shutter button fast enough now. It is a different camera than the one I was used to using. They stay charged for weeks at a time under normal to heavy usage, and the ones I throw in my case fully-charged are still fully-charged a month or two later.

Simply amazing and quite a shock that different batteries could change the feel of this camera so much. I highly recommend that anyone having weird problems try some high-power NiMH batteries for a while to see if their issues go away. I am once again a happy Pentax DLSR user.

Always good to have a happy ending

I've noticed this too, especially when something is too close to focus in on.

And the weather deal, I live in finland and my k2000 happily worked for me at minus 20 celcius (or -4 fahrenheit, I was using energizer lithium batteries at the time ) It does say in the batteries section of the manual what kind of batteries work best.